Bear rescue center

Nov 01 2012

RBTH

Biologist Sergey Pazhetnov, right, and his colleague carry a bear cub for measuring inside the forest enclosure of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Bear Rescue Center.

Biologist Sergey Pazhetnov, right, and his colleague carry a bear cub for measuring inside the forest enclosure of the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) Bear Rescue Center, near the village of Bubonitsy, 350 kilometers (220 miles) northwest of Moscow, Russia. Bears were once hunted by Russians for their fur and their blubber, but trophy hunting is gaining ground among a wealthy new class with cash to burn. Russian authorities have made efforts to crack down particularly on den hunting, or the stalking of a mother bear with her young during winter hibernation, which leaves hundreds of cubs orphaned each year. Source: AP